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Last night’s Jays game was the best of the season and I’m one lucky SOB

Nick Reid Sep 4, 2021

Wow. I can’t believe what I witnessed last night. My head’s still pounding and my voice is gonezo, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Friday’s Blue Jays game was the best of the entire season, and it was one of the most insane rollercoasters of a sporting event I have ever experienced. Holy cow what a ballgame.

The game started off pretty great, with Vladdy Jr. cashing my Bet On The Blue Jays play in the 4th inning. He rewarded me for ranking him as the fourth-best Blue Jays power hitter of all-time. The Oakland Athletics jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first frame, but I wasn’t worried. Turns out I should’ve been worried because Alek Manoah was plunking batters left and right sandwiched between some untimely base hits. Fortunately, we got a big ole blast from Teoscar Hernandez that tied the game up in the 4th. Absolute no doubter.

I love Manoah, but he couldn’t seem to find the plate all night. But instead of turning to the bullpen down 4-2, Charlie Montoyo decides to leave him out there to pitch the 6th and proceeds to give up a two-run blast. Poor Charlie was making his way to the pitcher’s mound with his tail between his legs before the ball even landed, and I thought that the game might’ve been out of reach. Then gas-thrower Nate Pearson comes in the next inning and gives up a couple more runs.

At this point, it’s 8-2 A’s, and I’m not a happy camper. I had won my BOTB play, but at what cost?

But this is why you can’t count these boys out. We get to the 8th inning, and the Jays rally their brains out. Valera walk, Vladdy RBI single, Bo HBP, Teo walk, Lil Thicc bases-loaded walk. The Jays managed to scrape a couple runs, and now the tying run is at the plate in Lourdes Gurriel Jr. What does the pineapple-haired man do? Hit a gahdamn ROPE to deep left center. The outfielder didn’t even take one step back that ball was so far gone. At this point I already thought I had made it to heaven. We have a ballgame tied at eights.

Now I’m thinking let’s go win the damn thing. We clawed back from down six, it’s time to put it away. But I’ll give it to the A’s, they weren’t ready to roll over and die. Jordan Romano comes in trying to keep the game even heading into the bottom half, and woulda done it if it weren’t for Mark Canha and his two-run knock that just hit the bottom of the foul pole(?) in left. All of a sudden the Jays find themselves back where they just were, losing but with fewer outs to make a comeback.

But as deflating as that moment was when the visitors took a 10-8 lead, I hadn’t given up. Neither did the other 15,000 people there with me. The boys came back all this way, we still had hope that they could get it done.

And what’d they do?

They fuckin’ got it done.

The offense picked up right where it left off the previous inning, with Valera and Springer getting in scoring position with back-to-back knocks. A hit to the outfield from the next batter woulda tied it. But this isn’t soccer, who wants a tie? Marcus Semien sure didn’t.

Last night’s game was so insane that it felt like it wasn’t real. You couldn’t script a storyline like that. The Jays were down 2-0 early, then 8-2 with five outs left, tie it up with a grand slam, go down AGAIN by a couple runs, then walk it off with a three-run blast to come out victorious 11-10. I really can’t believe I got to be a part of such a crazy damn game.

The night almost felt surreal because even though the Jays found themselves in such a big hole, no one in the crowd or in that third base dugout heard a fat lady singin’. It’s as if we knew Lourdes would hit that game-tying grand slam, and then again when Semien ended the night with one swing of the bat in the ninth. Just an overall epic night that I got to experience with my mom and we, along with everyone else in that stadium not in an Oakland uniform, enjoyed the hell out of it.

The Jays still have a big hill to climb to get into the Wild Card picture. Winning the next two against the A’s would be huge, and then they’d need to bring that momentum with them to the Bronx for a pivotal four-game series against the Yankees. But for now, I’m just gonna enjoy reflecting on what was the best Blue Jays game of the season, and probably in the last five years, on what turned out to be one euphoric night. I should probably go to the doctor to check my blood pressure after all of the cheering and yelling I did, but that game made it worth it. Make that 5-0 in Jays games I’ve gone to this year. I’m one lucky SOB.

Nick Reid

Blue Jays Contributor for DeanBlundell.com. Sport Management student at Brock University. Have seen a game at all 30 Major League ballparks. Would rather be eating poutine at the Rogers Centre.

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